Prepare for a hair-raising paperback edition of “Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites”

Fresh off a double Eisner-Award win at San Diego Comic-Con 2017, Dark Horse is thrilled (and chilled) to offer the first volume of the award-winning series that effortlessly combines fantasy and humor to bring us the adventures of paranormal pets investigating the horrors of their suburban community in a trade paperback.

Award-winning comics creators Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese) and Jill Thompson (Who also snagged an Eisner in July for Best Painter) come together to share the lives of some unlikely heroes. Black magic, demonic frogs, and zombie roadkill are just a few of the problems plaguing the seemingly sleepy little town of Burden Hill. Beneath the quiet streets, a rat cabal plots vengeance, while in the local cemetery the dead leave their graves. With the human residents unaware of the supernatural danger, it’s up to a determined crew of dogs (and one cat) to keep their community safe. Lives will be lost, and bonds forged as the beasts of Burden Hill battle against an unknown evil rooted within their town. This volume reprints the comic-book series Beasts of Burden issues #1–4, the short stories from the Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, the Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, the Dark Horse Book of the Dead, and the Dark Horse Book of Monsters, “Stray,” “Unfamiliar,” “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie,” and “A Dog and His Boy,” published by Dark Horse Comics.Beast of Burden: Animal Rites TPB goes on sale May 9, 2018, and is available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop. This paperback volume retails for $19.99. Praise for Beasts of Burden:

“For pet lovers and enthusiasts of supernatural mysteries, the series is an absolute must. . . The surprise factor within this series is not the suspense or horror, but rather the emotional resonance that the writing and illustrations create. . . Beasts of Burden is one of the comic book highlights of 2009.”—USA Today

“Dorkin’s script captures the well-meaning, dopey sentiments we attribute to our dogs and cats’ thoughts, and Thompson’s art finds a middle ground between storybook sweetness and EC Comics chills. It’s a lot of fun, and ideal for kids who don’t mind a little gore and ghosts with their adorable animals.”—AV Club “[Beasts of Burden is] rapidly becoming one of my favorite comics. Nice job.”—NEIL GAIMAN (The Sandman)

“I imagine a just world, where Beasts of Burden is ten times as popular as Twilight.”—GAIL SIMONE (Wonder Woman)

“Beasts of Burden balances humor, heart, and horror and fosters the contrast necessary to elevate a genre.”—MTV